Adalky

I come from Washington Heights NYC, a lively community of tight-knit Spanish-speaking individuals from different parts of the Caribbean it ranges from 155 street till the tip of Manhattan on 207 Dyckman Street. It’s where senior citizens hang out in the shade and play games of dominoes, and where men sexually harass women down the street and young kids throw water balloons of fire escapes. The name comes from its historical context of the Morris-Jumel Mansion that George Washington stayed in during the revolutionary war. The community is based off of struggles of immigrant families as seen as the Broadway production of “in the heights”.
I hate and love my neighborhood. I love it because since I’ve been living there since I was two years old I know everyone, all the people who work at the local street supermarkets who to tell me the difference of certain herbs, when I went off to go grocery shopping for my mom, like recao; a cooking herb often confused with parsley. I love it because I had the access of going to high school downtown in Chelsea, I commuted daily and loved it I would hang out in Union square afterschool and have picnic in Central park. But I hate it because, when I would go uptown back home there would be gang activity this relates to the dropout rate for men in schools.
This is something that has to be changed, because it affects the whole neighborhood. Washington Heights is such a beautiful neighborhood prices are going up. Many people slowly can’t afford to live in that community; reconstruction is happening the inside of the buildings making it more expensive attracting graduates of Columbia University to neighborhood; leading to gentrification.
Where I live now is Greencastle IN, I chose to go to this University to be independent, as the middle child my mom depends on me the most. At first when I got accepted she was saying all the pro’s that come along with staying with her all the free meals and free laundry, yeah that sounds pleasing but then there are con’s. I also went far to break a boundary, my little brother now could go to a school in a different state, because of me stepping out of my shell. My older sister broke the boundary being the first in my family to go to college, being the first generation of immigrants.
Living in Greencastle IN, is very different from where I’m from the land is flat there are Wal-Mart’s here which I enjoy but everyone drives, this something I’m not used to seeing. I’ve been taking the train ever since I was in the 4th grade. So now I find myself more dependent on others than myself. Last time I went home I made sure to at least get my permit. So hopefully this will change next semester.